Category: ThursdayTreeLove

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Bananas (ThursdayTreeLove)

When walking on the road, discarded Banana skins are a big hazard in addition to indisciplined traffic, poor pavements etc. I always keep my eyes on the ground when walking .. besides spotting stuff I am likely to slip on, I am very often rewarded. 
Yes Rewarded!
How?
By sighting some fallen flower or fruit which is the tree calling attention to itself! 


Recently I was happy to see what looks like a discarded Banana skin. 
A closer look revealed it to  be the Muchkunda flower. Of course the pervading fragrance immediately confirmed its identity. 

Banana skin?

It goes by the botanical name of Pterospermum acerifolium and belongs to the Sterculiaceae family (Cocoa family). There is some confusion about exact the specific name so lets just say it belongs to the Pterospermum genus. 


The leaves are large and typically Peltate which means the petiole is not attached to the end of the leaf but nearer the centre. This is clearly seen in the image above. According to this Indian Express article, the tree is also called Dinner Plate Tree as the leaves are threaded together to create a plate!


These are night blooming flowers which are pollinated by bats. 
A handsome native species that demands attention and a sight for sore eyes. 

Notice the fruit which is a woody capsule

Have you seen the Muchkunda? 

I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove blog hop. Do head over to see some fantastic trees from around the world. Better still, join in!
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Fragrant Stars (ThursdayTreeLove)

These trees growing along the fence of a prominent hotel in Aurangabad were eye catching even from a distance. They had dark green leaves with mysterious shadows broken by the intermittent breeze. 

Fragrant flowers, Bakul, AUrangabad



On walking closer, I was happy to see that these were the Maulsari or Mimusops elengi . It was December and the tree was in bloom and the tiny star shaped flowers with their haunting fragrance made the morning more beautiful. These flowers are prized because they retain their scent even when dry.



Maulsari is called Bakul in Marathi and is found in many parts of India. It is a native tree belonging to the Sapotaceae family. The leaves are glossy green and have a wavy margin. It bears pretty red coloured fruit which is said to be edible (I have not eaten these and I dont recommend readers to do so unless they have confirmed information about it being edible). 


Red fruit, Mimusops, Pune
Bakul fruits – this image from a tree growing elsewhere

Pune homes and streets in Pune have Bakul. Does this tree grow in your city? Have you seen garlands of these fragrant flowers?


I am joning Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove bloghop. Do head over to see some wonderful trees from around the world. Better still, join in!
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Tree House (ThursdayTreeLove)

This is one tree that almost everyone would have seen, admired and possibly also know its name.

Thats right this is the Cassia fistula of the Caesalpiniaceae family. It is commonly called Amaltas / Bahava / Golden Shower Tree or Indian Laburnum. 

The trees were in full bloom in Pune in April and its blazing yellow blossoms were actually soothing despite the mercury crossing 40Deg C. I did not complain having to halt at the traffic signal as I could photograph the lovely cascading flowers! 
On one of these trees, I spotted a bird’s nest … It must be such a beautiful sight to sit among these beautiful fragrant flowers and watch people race around on the road below!! 



Can you spot the nest in the centre of the image?

Here is a close up of the flowers but from another tree some years ago..

Glorious is it not?


Bahava is easily among my favourite trees.
Have you seen the Bahava? Have you spotted any nest on it?


I am joining Parul in ThursdayTreeLove blog hop. Do head over to see some lovely trees from around the world. Better still, join in!

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Heavenly (ThursdayTreeLove)

Travel, Trees, Pear, Blossoms

“Trees are the earth’s endless effort to speak to the listening heaven”
                             …Rabindranath Tagore



These Pear trees were in full bloom in Thimpu and I clicked these images at the Folk History Museum. If you are still gasping at their beauty, then here is a close up of the flowers! 
Thimpu, Bhutan, Sakura
Pear belongs to the Rose family (Rosaceae) and belongs to the Pyrus genus. 

I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove bloghop. Head over to see some wonderful trees from around the world. Better still, join in!

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Twins (ThursdayTreeLove)

I spotted these trees recently. All efforts to take a ‘solo’ photo of them failed as it was a very busy road and vehicles simply couldnt be kept out of the frame. 
Going closer meant losing some part of the tree. 

Trees, Adansonia, Pune

 The twins look magnificent don’t you think??



So here is the Baobab that is called Adansonia digitata and belongs the Bombacaeae family. It is native to Africa and has been introduced to India hundreds of years ago. In fact, it seems to be quite happy here considering that it flowers and fruits happily. It can be easily identified by its palmate leaves and its huge trunk. The trunk is said to store water. In the above photo, the white flowers are of the Plumeria though the Baobab also bears white flowers.


I have seen this species at four other places in Pune and this was a new find for me! This is also my third Baobab post on my blog! 


I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove bloghop. Do head over to see some fantastic trees from around the world. Better still, join in!

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Shining (ThursdayTreeLove)


Waras is a tree native to India yet there are not many of them growing in my city. It has large compound leaves that fall every winter and then the tree bursts into yellow funnel shaped flowers in February. 

This year, I spotted its flowering both in the early morning and also on another tree at night.
At both times, the yellowish white flowers seemed to be glittering..

Here is a video of the flowering Waras in the morning… 


I saw this tree at night and the flowers seemed to be glowing! Growing as it was on the footpath in an area of heavy traffic, the tree held its own, shining in its beauty for anyone who cared to look up!



Waras goes by the botanical name Heterophragma quadriloculare and belongs to the Bignoniaceae family. 


I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove blog hop.
Head over to see some fantastic trees from around the world.

Better still, join in.

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You Choose (ThursdayTreeLove)

One a particularly chilly morning, I was trying to capture the colours of the sky as the Sun rose. As I checked the image, and despite not wearing my spectacles, I thought that something in the foreground was equally eye catching..

Sure enough, a closer look revealed that a Capparis was blooming and its flowers begged me to admire them too. Capparis grandis belongs to the Capparaceae family and its flowers characteristically have showy white protruding stamens.
Pachunda, Capparis, vetal tekdi
I was torn between the glorious sky and the beautiful flowers of this tree. 

I am unable to choose which is more beautiful.. 
I leave the choice to you!
🙂


This is my 40th post on this Label/Hashtag as I join Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove Blog hop. Its been a Tree(mendous) journey, one that I hope to continue to read (on other blogs) and share (here). So dear readers, join us on this blog hop to see some beautiful trees from around the world or better still, share yours!
🙂

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Arrows (ThursdayTreeLove)



I spotted this Mango tree in full bloom quite recently. Almost every branch and subbranch seems to have an inflorescence.  They reminded me of tiny arrows that seem to have framed the tree almost creating a brilliant halo around it! 


Actually almost all Mango trees are blooming right now. The profuse flowering suggests a bumper harvest but usually many of the flowers fall off (for various reasons) and the actual fruiting may be lesser than the number of flowers.


Here is an image of the inflorescence. 

Have you noticed the Mango blossoming in your city? 
While there are several varieites of mangoes, they are horticultural variants of Mangifera indica. Mango belongs to the Anacardiaceae family.  Cashew and the Indian Ash Tree are also members of Anacardiaceae.


I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove bloghop. Head over to see some fantastic trees from around the world. Better still join in! 

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Tennis Balls (ThursdayTreeLove)

January sees many trees lose their foliage in Pune and spring with its profuse flowering is still a few weeks away. Yet there is one tree that brings a smile not merely by its blooming but also by the ‘flowers’ themselves! 


I am referring to Parkia biglandulosa which is locally called Chenduful belonging to the Mimosaceae family. Its a common avenue tree here and one realises its in bloom as one has to side step what look like furry balls when walking on the road. They obviously are not something kids have played with and one is compelled to look up. I have unfailingly been amazed to be looking up at what looks like tennis balls hanging down from the branches of the tree. 



Each of these balls, is just the inflorescence and consists of several flowers. They remind me of tennis balls and I am still unable to understand why this Parkia is called Badminton Ball tree.. As far as I know, Badminton is played with a shuttlecock so… 


Parkia biglandulosa is not native to India but I have seen it growing across the country even at one of our bases in the north east. Our daughter remembers playing with these blossoms and even preserving one of the furry balls in a box.. She still doesnt remember why and what happened to it later! More recently, one of the children in my Tree Walk group collected it as a memory of our walk! 

A lovely tall tree with delicate leaves that reminds of the Gulmohor. I am sure most of you would have noticed these fallen ‘tennis balls’. If not, do look out for them as Parkia is still blooming at least here in my city! 

I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove bloghop. Do head over to see some great trees from around the world. 
Better still, join in!
🙂

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Kailashnath Neem (ThursdayTreeLove)



Continuing on this e-visit to Ellora, here is a massive Neem tree. It is growing on the right side as we face the Cave 16 Kailash Temple complex. The straight trunk its vast base are eye catching.. The dense foliage hid its branching and only made it more imposing. 

Here is another view .. 

Later, I found that this tree is listed as the Kailashnath Neem under the Landmark Trees of India.


Going by the botanical name Azadirachta indica , it belongs to the Meliaceae family. Neem is a common species almost all over India. This is easily the tallest Neem I have seen!
I
have seen glorious trees at the Qutub Minar. Just proves that there’s more to archaeological sites than the structures.. We only need to look around!


I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove bloghop. Head over to see some fantastic trees from around the world. Better still, join in!

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